US homeless man gets $140,000 for good deed

KANSAS CITY: A homeless US man will soon have more than $US100,000 after returning an engagement ring to a woman who accidentally dropped it in his cup earlier this month.

Sarah Darling's fiance set up a website seeking donations for Billy Ray Harris, who frequently panhandles on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza. By Monday, more than 6,000 people had donated more than $US145,000 ($A141,622) to the fund.

"I think in our world we often jump to like the worst conclusion, and it just makes you realise that there are good people out there," Darling said.

Harris discovered the ring about an hour after Darling dumped spare change from her coin purse into his cup. She had taken off her ring earlier that day and put it with the coins.